Trouble
by kcpiratey05
Summary: One-shot written for Sleepy Lotus based on the prompt "My tremendous intuitive sense of the female creature informs me that you are troubled." Takes place during DMC. Definitely AU.
A/N: For Sleepy Lotus who requested the prompt "my tremendous intuitive sense of the female creature informs me you are troubled" Enjoy!

 **Trouble**

"It points to the thing you want most in this world." He told her.

' _How could a piece of navigational equipment know something as important as that?_ ' Elizabeth thought to herself while she sat on the quarter deck steps. Not even she knew what she wanted.

For a time she was certain she wanted to marry Will, but a life lived never leaving Port Royal sounded grim to her even with the prospect of marrying her life long friend.

Elizabeth had loved Will with all her heart and the thought of marrying him did make her happy once, but a midnight visitor half a year ago had seemingly changed her forever, and Will was no longer the only man occupying her thoughts.

The day Beckett arrived in Port Royal, Elizabeth found she was actually relieved they were not able to go through with the ceremony. _Fate intervenes, indeed._ _How could Beckett have possibly known?_

Her face scrunched up into a scowl, she barely noticed Jack sauntering toward her. He plopped down next to her, ignoring any proper notions of personal space and leaned in closely.

"My tremendous intuitive sense of the female creature informs me that you are troubled."

 _Does it? Shouldn't have been too hard puzzle that one out, considering you are the cause of said troubles._ She thought while her mouth betrayed what she was feeling.

"I thought I'd be married by now. I was so ready to be married."

Jack handed her his bottle of rum and she took it without hesitation. _If I were married, maybe you wouldn't tempt me so._

Then he spoke again, and for a moment Elizabeth thought he was mocking her, but there was a seriousness in his eyes that frightened her.

"Marry me." He didn't ask. It was a demand.

"You're not serious." She said, dismissing him.

"Serious as the plague, love."

"You barely know me."

"What more do I need to know? We are very much alike, you and I. I and you. Us."

"Oh, yes. Peas in a pod." She quipped as she stood and walked toward the railing.

"You'll come over to my side. I know it"

"Hah" She laughed unconvincingly. The fact was she could very easily imagine life as rogue and a scoundrel, especially in the arms of the deviant before her.

"You're already well on your way to being ruined. Don't you dare pretend to have the moral high ground here, Lizzie."

"I don't have to, so long as you keep digging yourself into a deeper hole" She smirked, leaning back against the gunwale.

"Oh, how I have missed sparring with that devil tongue of yours." He moved toward her, placing his hands on either side of the railing, and trapping her body between his.

"I'm sure it's the sparring you've missed." She looked at his mouth hungrily while still trying to maintain an air of aloofness.

"So you do think about that night?" he mumbled nuzzling against her ear.

"I never said that."

"You don't have to, love. I can see it in your eyes. One taste of Jack Sparrow is never enough." He began to kiss the side of her neck, trailing kisses to her jaw.

"Jack." She sighed, putting her hands on his chest. "The crew is watching."

"So let them." He grunted, leaning down to kiss her.

Elizabeth placed her palm over his mouth. "Stop." Norrington's smug observations were enough to drive her mad, she didn't need the crew snickering behind her back as well. "I'm still engaged to be married, if you recall?"

"That didn't stop you before, and I recall you nearly running away with me that night."

"Running away from marriage and running away with you are two entirely different things." She said, shoving him off of her. "I was scared and foolish." She wasn't sure who she was trying to convince more, Jack or herself.

She turned and walked toward the captain's cabin that Jack had so politely offered to her when she arrived. She attempted to open the door, but Jack pushed it shut as he caught up to her.

"What's your excuse now?" He said pointedly. "Why are you here on the Pearl instead of patiently waiting for your dear William back in Port Royal?"

Elizabeth looked around nervously. "It was either this or rot in a jail cell. I chose the lesser of two evils." She said straightening up, and she put up the impenetrable armor that kept her from becoming too vulnerable. She pulled on the door again, but Jack held it shut.

"Your little act may fool whelps like Will and the former Commodore, but I can see right through you, darling. As I said before, you and I are very much alike and no amount of posturing can hide the truth from me."

"Oh? And what truth is that?" She said crossing her arms in a huff.

"You long for freedom. You long to do what you want to do because you want it. To act on selfish impulse. You want to see what it's like. And once you do, you're afraid you won't be able to resist." He whispered into her ear.

He was right. Damnable man. He had her pegged from the beginning. He could tell in an instant how unhappy she was when he came to see her in Port Royal those few months ago. She'd never been so fully understood by anyone, so she let him kiss her, let him woo her with tales of the open sea, and he nearly had her convinced to run off with him, but there was still a part of her that couldn't quite break free, couldn't stomach the thought of hurting poor, sweet, dull Will.

And she was afraid now. Afraid to go back to the corsets and the etiquette, to stay home and bare children. This was her chance. She'd been given an out, an opportune moment do what she wished for once, and not Will nor James could take this away from her.

She rested her forehead against his shoulder and sighed resignedly. "You're right. You've always been right. I don't belong on land any more than I belong with Will. I came here to find you. Just you." She said gripping the lapels of his coat.

Jack gently lifted her face to look at him and he gazed at her with a wicked smirk. "Perhaps we should discuss the matter further…away from prying eyes?" He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Lead the way, Captain." She smirked back, and let him lead her into the Captain's cabin.


End file.
